Recast The Players
by Black Knight 03
Summary: When Miranda comes back for a visit, Gordo starts to see her in a new light. She makes him think about the roles certain people play in his life, and he starts to think that maybe it is time to recast the roles. One-shot MG


Disclaimer – Disney owns Lizzie McGuire

A/N – Well, after a year away, I'm back. For a moment, at least. I needed a diversion from the Harry Potter fandom, and I got the urge to write some M/G. Thanks to Jennifer10 for her help and to Dr. Strange for letting me use one of my favorite moments in _Knight in Shinning Armor_. For any of my HP readers whom may have stumbled upon this story for whatever reason, I'm currently working on Prompt/Chapter 3 for LOQ, which is currently only my LiveJournal, and I'm outlining the final chapter(s) of Light.

Mrs. McGuire cringed when she heard her daughter scream her name. She had been outside, sitting on one of the deck chairs and watching the sunset, enjoying a rare peaceful moment. _I knew it was too peaceful. _As expected, Lizzie came busting outside.

"Mom!" Lizzie said melodramatically. "Tell the ferret, he is not staying."

Right on her heels, Matt came outside. "It's my house too. I don't have to go anywhere."

Spinning towards her younger brother, she perched her hands on her hips and glared at him. "The only reason you're staying is so you can drool over Miranda."

Following their sophomore year, Mr. Sanchez had gotten a new job in Brooklyn and Miranda and her family ended up moving cross country. While Miranda had kept in touch, it just wasn't the same as having her around. So after months of begging and arranging, Miranda and Lizzie had convinced their parents to let Miranda stay with the McGuires over Spring Break. It had been almost two years since Lizzie had seen her old friend, and the last thing she wanted was for her brother to messing up her plans.

"I don't drool," Matt defended, folding his arms across his chest. "Just because I think Miranda is attractive, doesn't mean she's the reason I don't want to go out tonight. Perhaps, I just want to stay and enjoy the scenery. Besides, Miranda is our guest, and since you've so callously made her feel like a third wheel by having your precious boyfriend here, I feel it's my duty to make her feel comfortable."

Lizzie glared at him for a moment. "First, stop hanging out with David." Then pulling out her cell phone, Lizzie gave Matt a challenging look. "And I think we should see what your friends have to say about you blowing them off. Who should we start with?" Lizzie gave a dramatic pause before an evil grin appeared. "Mom, do you know what the Biancas' phone number is?"

"You wouldn't dare."

"Try me."

Matt pointed at her, and feigned being wounded. "This isn't over. I'll have my revenge!"

Rolling her eyes, "You can't even spell revenge."

Not to be out done, "You can't even spell."

Growing tired of their antics, and wanting to stop this before it escalated, Mrs. McGuire decided to finally step in. "Matt, you promised not to be a pain this week. Now, go gather your stuff, go to Lanny's, and have fun."

After Matt had left, she turned towards her daughter. "Honey, why did you invite Craig? I thought your first night back together was just going to be a girls night in?"

"I wanted Miranda to meet him. Besides, Craig as to work the rest of the weekend," Lizzie explained, and then as an afterthought, "I invited David too."

"You sure that's a good idea? Your current boyfriend spending time with your ex?"

"Mom," Lizzie said while rolling her eyes. "David and Craig are not going to be hanging out. Craig is here to meet Miranda and see me. David is coming to see Miranda. Besides, he's cool with me and Craig, he told me so. Things may not be as good as they once were, but we're still best friends. Close friends, minus all the romantic bull crap that got in between us before."

"Alright honey," Mrs. McGuire said doubtfully. She knew that while whatever may have been romantically between the pair was now dead, it wasn't the best idea to flaunt your newest romance in front of your old one, no matter how comfortable they may say there are with it.

As Lizzie returned inside, Gordo was slowly walking down the street, deep in thought. _I really wish Veruca would stop encouraging Parker. It's hard enough to come up with a valid excuse not to help her on one of her causes, but it's another thing completely trying to come up with a valid excuse not to go out with her._

_I like Parker, as a friend… She's funny, cute, a little quirky, but there's like five personalities in that pretty little head of hers, and they're all trying to get out at once._

_If Veruca doesn't stop, I'm going to have to do something about it. I have to make a stand somewhere, don't I? _Gordo snickered to himself at the mental image that came to him after that thought. _Yea, and five seconds later, Veruca will break me._

_Miranda would love to know that since she's left, Veruca as picked up her slack at driving me nuts. Though, she's more indirect, encouraging Parker… and Tudgeman. _

_That's another thing I have to put a stop to. I really don't need the play by play of Tudgeman getting some. I especially don't need those mental images._

Letting out a tired sigh as he reached the McGuires', he turned to start walking across the lawn towards the front door. _Maybe Ethan is right, I am wound too tight and need a new girlfriend._ He paused at the McGuires' porch as what he just said occurred to him. _My god, did I just say Ethan was right?_

Just as he was about to start to knock, the front door opened and Matt came scurrying out, dragging a duffel bag behind him as he tried to put distance between him and the front door.

"It isn't over!" Matt hollered back into the house.

Gordo smirked. "Hey Matt."

"David, my man. Don't let them beat you down!" he shouted as he made it to the sidewalk.

"Don't make me call Melina!" Lizzie said as she walked out on to the porch.

"Evil!" Matt shouted as he headed towards Lanny's.

Gordo chuckled softly as he watched brother and sister. When Lizzie turned her glare to Gordo, he just smirked back.

"You just encourage him," Lizzie scolded as she turned back into the house.

Gordo simply shrugged and grinned as he followed Lizzie in to the house.

Entering the house, his grin faltered for a moment when he saw Craig in kitchen, browsing in the refrigerator. After a very brief hello was exchanged by the two guys, Gordo glanced at Lizzie as she was closing the door. "So, where's the guest of honor?"

Then, in answer to his question, he heard someone land from a jump behind him and then quickly felt someone slam into him from behind at full speed, knocking the wind out of him.

As the pair staggered forward a few steps, a set of arms wrapped around his waist and an all too familiar voice rang in his ear. "Right here!"

Chuckling softly, Gordo fought to keep his balance. "Think you can say hello without trying to hurt me?"

"It's just not as fun," she teased back. Than, as Gordo turned around, Miranda gave him a proper hug. "I missed you."

Returning the hug, "What? There's no one there to put you in your place?" he teased back. As they stepped back from each other, Gordo finally got a good look at her. For a brief moment, Gordo's mind went quiet as he looked at the girl in front of him. While for the most part, she was still the same Miranda, but there were some differences that showed she was no longer the fourteen year old girl and was almost a woman.

"Wow," Gordo stuttered, "You've… err, grown." Giving him a look as if he was insane, Miranda let out a loud laugh. Gordo could feel his face coloring a little. _Nice one Dave. Why don't you just tell her she's stacked while you're at it._

As Miranda playfully shoved him as they walked into the kitchen, Gordo found his eyes wandering again. As the conversation went on around him, Gordo leaned against the island countertop. Tuning out, he found his attention drawn to Miranda moving about the room. One of the things Gordo loved to tease her about was the fact that she could never sit still for very long. Even when talking, she would gesture with her hands, walk around, or shift her weight or bounce on her feet.

At this moment, Miranda was no doubt describing something because as she spoke, and was walking from the refrigerator which was behind him, she seemed to be drawing it in the air with her hands. Gordo watched as her hips swayed a little as she walked around him and the island, and how animated her features got as she described whatever it was.

Suddenly realizing someone had asked him a question; Gordo snapped himself out of his thoughts and looked blankly around. "What?"

Lizzie smirked and rolled her eyes, while Miranda grinned and shook her head. They knew that look. On the flip side, this was one of the things the girls had loved to tease him about. The fact, he could be in the loudest place on Earth, and be able to go into deep thought, while blocking everything out around him.

"Man, Gordo, you sure are losing your touch," Miranda joked. Usually, Gordo would at least pay enough attention to know when they said something directly to him, or at least be able to cover it better. "Well, I guess without me around, no one's been able to keep you on your toes," she said walking up next to him, and then, swings her hips into his, giving him a small bump.

Gordo just gave her a sarcastic grin, not trusting himself to say anything back. He was thankful when Lizzie herded everyone into the living room to watch television. Unfortunately, when it came to what to watch, Craig and Gordo were out voted in favor of the recent teen melodrama.

While the girls watched the TV in ruptured silence, Gordo picked at a can of mixed nuts. Every few minutes, Gordo found himself glancing at Miranda, sitting next to him. _What's so different now? She's always been pretty, but there's… just something else._

_Come off it. You're going to drive yourself crazy. It's because you let what Ethan said get in your head. You know anything he says is like a brain worm. You hear it, brush it off, and then hours later, it makes you got what the? And it doesn't help that you've been dwelling on the whole Parker shit. _

As Gordo laid his head against the back of the couch, he noticed out of the corner of his eye, Miranda tug at the bottom of her shorts. This of course drew his attention to her legs and the fact that the shorts were in fact very short. _Ok, so maybe she's gotten prettier. Doesn't mean anything, just hormones making our bodies grow and change. It's life._

Then a small voice spoke in the back of his mind, _She's smart too. Maybe not on my level, but she's definitely no slouch. She's more artistic than I'll ever be. You could barely do the scales, and she was on stage singing solos. _

Trying to stop himself from starring at her legs, he turned his attention to rummaging through the can of nuts.

Feeling Miranda's breath on his ear suddenly, made him stiffen. "Gordo, I want your penis."

Startled off the charts, Gordo tried to sputter out, "What?" but it came out as a coughing fit. Luckily, his body's jerk, didn't send any of the nuts flying out of the can.

Once she knew he was alright, Miranda gave him the insane look once again. "I want some peanuts." Miranda then pointed at the can like it was obvious, and grabbed a few. "Quit hogging the nuts."

"I have to hog them or you'd eat them all," he said quietly. Miranda glared at him and hit him softly upside the head.

A little curious, and a bit deviously, she asked with a wide smirk, "Why? What did you think I said?"

"Nothing," he sputtered out while putting the can on the table. Shifting, so he was leaning on his hip with his back was to Miranda, Gordo tried to calm himself down. Unfortunately, it gave him a direct view to the other couch in the McGuire's living room, where currently, Lizzie and Craig were cuddled together.

When Lizzie giggled at something Craig whispered into her ear, Gordo felt his stomach tighten. Then, when he saw Craig trying to kiss her, and Lizzie, playfully pulling away, he had had enough of their P.D.A.. Gordo pushed himself up and walked around the couch towards the kitchen. Miranda watched him get up, gave a quick glance at the couple across the room, than watched Gordo walk away.

Quickly getting up, and going around the other end of the couch, she followed Gordo into the kitchen. Walking up to him, Gordo leaned forward against the island and opened a soda. "Hey," she said softly.

Gordo slowly looked up, and gave her curious look.

Sitting down on one of the stools, "So, when you come to the City next month, we are so going to Chang's for some take out. They have the best egg rolls I have ever had."

Gordo couldn't help but a crack a smile. She didn't have to ask anything, and he didn't have to say anything, she simply understood it. Miranda knew he was uncomfortable watching Lizzie and Craig; heck, he was uncomfortable simply knowing they were dating. But, also, that the last thing he wanted to do was talk about it. "How about after my NYU interview?"

"Sounds good."

Hearing Lizzie giggle again drew both of their attentions. "I thought it was just the distance, but we really have grown apart."

"It is the distance a little, but growing up changes things too."

Miranda turned back to him, "Hasn't for us."

Gordo gave her a weak smile. "Maybe it's just not as obvious," he answered back with a shrug.

For as much as she wanted to ask him what he meant by that, she bit her lip. Something in her, that she usually ignored, told her to leave it alone for now. "Liz as been my best friend for so long that she's like my sister. But lately, maybe its living cross country from each other, we're drifting. We used to talk at least for a few hours every weekend, now it's barely ten minutes a month. Even the email, I pretty much just skim through them. I couldn't care if Kate is wearing designer knockoffs or Jamie what's her name is dating two guys."

"Or that you spent your whole weekend looking for the perfect rockstar top?" Gordo teased and Miranda smirked back, knowing she had walked into that one. "But I get what you're saying."

"It's just hard letting go of the kid view of everything. Lizzie is like Willow to my Buffy."

Gordo snorted. He joked, "Fighting those evil, cheerleading, vampires? And who am I? Angel?"

"Hardly," Miranda said off handed. "You're not angsty enough. I'd say you're Xander."

"Keep it up," Gordo muttered under his breath. Then, he gave her a sideways glance before saying, "And you're no Buffy. You're more the plucky side kick."

"Plucky?" she asked rhetorically, her voice getting a dangerous edge to it.

A playful smile slowly emerged on Gordo's lips. "That makes _you_ Willow, and in the end, didn't Willow end up with another woman?" At this, Miranda slugged him in the shoulder. "I'm just sayin," Gordo laughed as he used one hand to rub his arm, while using the other to fend of more of Miranda's attacks.

After Miranda had calmed down a bit, and Gordo didn't have to worry about any immediate threats to his life, he asked her about her upcoming interview. When Miranda started getting evasive, Gordo knew something was up.

"I don't really want to come back West," Miranda finally admitted. "I mean, I miss you guys and all, but I pretty much just used the interview as an excuse to come visit. I wanna stay in the city. I was thinking maybe NYU."

Gordo simply nodded as he listened to Miranda. He wasn't all that surprised really, Miranda had always been the type to like the life of a big city. But her next question sent his own plans for a spin. "What about you boy genius. You could go anywhere you wanted. Are you just coming east to see me, and then go back home to Stanford or Berkley?"

I… I never… really thought about it. I use to think Harvard was the only place, then I started thinking about staying, but now, I'm not… so sure."

"How about Columbia?" she asked, remembering the name from the list of colleges that had accepted him that he had sent her in his last email. Like Harvard, Columbia was an Ivy League school with similar academic standards and standings. It just so happened that the school was also in Manhattan. "When you come visit, you should look at the campus too."

Hearing another set of giggles from the couch drew their attention. "Bit nauseating, isn't it?" Miranda asked.

"Yea," Gordo simply answered finishing off his soda. Miranda looked back at Gordo with a questioning look. Gordo simply shrugged. "It just didn't work. It's like in the movies; the geeky best guy friend is simply there for moral support, not as a romantic interest."

"That's bullshit," Miranda told him.

Something made him react, it always did with Miranda. They could be ready to bite each other's heads off one moment, and the next, be as close as two male-female best friends could.

"Why do you think I'm here tonight?" he snapped. "Yea, Liz wanted to introduce you to Craig, but she also wanted to spend some time with him. Have her cake and eat it too. So she asked me to play wingman for her, so she could feel like she wasn't making you feel uncomfortable. She gets to spend some time with her boyfriend, while her best friend hangs out with their other best friend."

Never one to mince words, Miranda was always straight forward, and quickly shot back. "You don't think I realized that. Maybe I have my own reasons for going along with this." Realizing her slip of the lip, she quickly continued before Gordo could question her.

"Did you ever stop to think that the characters may have been miscast? Maybe Lizzie isn't supposed to be _your_ lead? Maybe she's just supposed to be a supporting character in _your _life's movie. Ever stop to think, there is another girl destined to play the lead opposite you."

Realizing she was getting too worked up about it, and nervous of the look Gordo was giving her, she quickly changed the subject. "Why does everyone call you David now, anyway?"

At first, opening his mouth to ask what she was getting out, something in the back of his mind told him not to ask; not yet at least. "I outgrew it. It's always been Lizzie, Miranda, and Gordo. Or, after you left, Lizzie and Gordo. It's never just Gordo. It was like Lizzie and Gordo were one and the same. So, when things went…umm, south, I just started going by David more. Sometime during junior year, it just stuck."

Scrunching up her face, like there was some foul smell under her nose, she shook her head no. "No."

"What?"

Miranda looked him dead in the eye, challenging him. "David doesn't sound right, too plain. You're so much more than just David. No, you're Gordo. Always have been, and always will be," she told him, and for emphasis, finished by poking him in the chest with her manicured and brightly colored index finger.

Rolling his eyes, "Fine, Mrnda."

Miranda eyes widened in surprise before narrowing dangerously at him. Gordo just gave her a lopsided grin. "Or would you rather I call you… Mirando?"

Having flashbacks of the disastrous crashed date back in Junior High, Miranda shivered slightly. _I couldn't get that damn smell of garlic out my hair for days. _Folding her arms across her chest, she pouted a little, but still glared at Gordo defiantly. "You're still Gordo."

Gordo's grin widened a little as he watched her, and those annoying thoughts from earlier this evening came back with a vengeance. He tried hard to ignore them, put he couldn't completely stop his mind from wandering.

As Miranda stood up, she jerked her head towards the backyard, an effort to get away from couple on the couch. As they walked out, Gordo, once again found his eyes transfixed on Miranda's backside as she walked.

Entering the backyard, they passed Mrs. McGuire who was still outside. Now, reading a book by the light of back porch and enjoying the warm spring evening. Miranda smiled and gave a small wave hello, while Gordo said hello but avoided eye contact for fear Mrs. McGuire knew where his eyes, and mind, had just been.

Trying to keep his eyes from wandering again, Gordo followed Miranda up the addition of the McGuires' original deck. It was a raised platform that lead to the McGuire's new above ground pool, a family Christmas gift from about two years ago.

Kicking off her sandals, Miranda sat down on the deck's edge and let her feet dangle in the water. As Gordo crouched next to her, she glanced up at him. "Hey, if Lizzie asks, I'm having dinner at your place Tuesday."

"Says who?"

"Me," Miranda told him. "Lizzie and the _girls_," she said dramatically, "are going shopping and I don't want to go."

Feigning shock, "Ok, now I'm scared. Miranda Sanchez doesn't want to go shopping? What is this world coming to?"

"Shut up," Miranda drawled. "Would you want to hang out with Kate and the rest of the Winged Monkeys? I don't know what Lizzie sees in them," she said, shaking her head.

"Things change," he answered. "I wouldn't mind going though. I hear no shopping trip is complete without a stop at Victoria's Secret." Then, with a developing grin, "You may see the Wicked Witch of the West, but I see-"

"I know what you see you horn dog," Miranda interrupted. "Besides, you shouldn't be thinking about other women, especially with Parker already planning your Spring Wedding."

"What!?"

Grinning widely, "I talk to Veruca sometimes. I assume my invitation is lost in the mail?" she asked sarcastically. "Though what she sees in you, I don't know. Maybe she has a Munchkin fetish."

As Gordo glared at her, muttering under his breath, Miranda just continued laughing. "Ah, did I upset the Munchkin?"

Suddenly, before she could react, Miranda found herself airborne for a few feet, barely skimming the water's surface. Then, just as suddenly, she was underwater. Recovering, and swimming quickly to the surface, she coughed for a few seconds as she gasped for breath. Then, wiping the water from her eyes, she looked back at the deck to find Gordo grinning like a fool on the deck, watching her.

Having no trouble understanding what just happened, Miranda let out a feral growl. "You're dead Munchkin!" she yelled as she began thrashing as she moved towards the deck.

Not losing the smile, Gordo quickly moved off the deck as Miranda pulled herself out. "Get back here!"

Thanks to splash from her swan dive into the pool and Miranda's booming threats, everyone else had gathered by the back door to watch Miranda chase Gordo around the backyard.

Mr. McGuire turned to his wife, "What's going on?"

"Gordo threw Miranda into the pool," she explained. "And I believe she just threaten to emasculate the poor boy." Mr. McGuire winced before heading back inside. Mrs. McGuire followed, intending to get a towel for Miranda, for when the chase had finished.

Gordo really wasn't putting up too much of an effort to avoid Miranda, simply side stepping her just as she got within reach. However, the more they ran around, the more Gordo noticed how her wet clothing was clinging even more to her curves, and he was slowing down his evades. Distracted, he was unable to avoid her next lunge as Miranda grabbed his shirt and jumped at him.

With her legs wrapped around his waist, and arms around his neck, she had him locked and was dripping all over him. Pretending to be repulsed by the soaked girl, his eyes immediately went down before he forced them back to her face. Holding her waist, Gordo couldn't help but smirk up at her as Miranda grinned triumphantly back down at him. Looking at her lips, he found an immense desire to find out what it'd be like to kiss her. An impulse he immediately started fighting against.

Unfortunately, the harder he fought it, the more the blood started rushing from his brain to another region. As Miranda shifted a little against him, her eyes went wide for a moment, before a knowing smile replaced the grin. In a soft whisper, "My, Gordo, you really are excited to see me."

Gordo could feel his whole face heat up. "You wish," he mumbled as he let go of her, making her get back to her feet.

A few minutes later, and after a sharp scolding by Lizzie about what chlorine could do to Miranda's hair and clothes, Gordo sat on the deck steps next to Miranda, who now had a blanket draped over her shoulders.

"So," Miranda started to ask with a laugh, "what do we do tomorrow?"

Gordo laughed a little too and shook his head. "I don't know. But with you around, I doubt it'll be boring."

"Hey," Miranda said softly, after a few moments.

"Hmm?"

"About New York," she said, "I… It'd be fun… you and me."

Gordo gave her a small smile, "I'll think about it." Then snickering, "But it does get cold there and I hear it's a tough city."


End file.
